Mechanical toy



Oct. 22, 1940. s, BERGER 2,218,513

MECHANICAL TOY Original Filed Feb. 5, 1938 i Tl INVENTOR Samuel 1. fle/yer ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 22, 1940 PATENT OFFECE MECHANICAL TOY Samuel I. Berger, Newark, N.

Application February 5, 1938, Serial N0.188,'860 Renewed January 20, 1940 16 Claims. (G1. l6210) The present invention relates to self-propelled toys of the type having a control member, which in successive" operations alternately arrests and releases the motor of the toy.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy of the characterdescribed, which is simple, rugged and durable in construction and which is more positive and more dependable in its response to the operation of the control element compared with heretofore conventional toys of this general type.

.In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan iew of my invention embodied ina vehicular toy,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 22 ofFig. 1 but showing the toy in a stopped position,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-.-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 but showingsaid mechanism, in arrested position, and I Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4:. i i

Referring to the drawing, the toy is shown embodied in an automobilegcomprising a chassis It and a simple spring motor Mmounted in the interior thereof, and desirably connected thereto by the .usual tongue and slot connections well known in the toy art. This motor is set be? tween a pair of spaced frame plates I I, which are joined together to providea casing therefor, and which form journals for a windingshaft l3.

One end it of this shaft extends through an aperture (not shown) in the side ofthe chassis Ill, and is polygonal in crosssection to receive a Winding key (not shown).

Mounted on the winding shaft i3 for rotation therewith is a ratchet plate I6, having prongs ll cooperating with detent slots [8 in a spur main.

drive gear 28 loosely supported on said shaft. .Amxed to thisfwinding shaft I3 is one end of a powerful motor spring 22, the other end 23 being anchored to an end frame plate 24 forming part of the motor casing.

Also journalled in frame plates H is a wheel axle 26, driven from the main drive gear 20 by a gear transmission, which desirably includes a pinion 27 on said axle meshing with aspur gear 28 a'fiixed to a countershaft 30, which carries a pinion 3| meshing with said main gear 20.. The axle 26 carries the usual traction wheels 32.;

.In the operation of the spring motor, the rotation of winding shaft 13 in a clockwise direction vane 40. I i

as viewed in Fig. 2 causes a winding of the motor spring 22 about said shaft, the prongs ll of the ratchet plate iii riding idly past the detent slots it of gear 2i? during this operation. When the winding shaft it is released, the potential en ergy in the Wound spring 22 rotates said shaft counterclockwise, and the resultant catching of the prongs ii in the detent slots i8 effects the rotation of. the wheels 32 in forward riding direction. p

The means for controlling the stopping and going of the toy comprises a control member 40 in the form of a light vane, presenting a comparatively large area and desirably made of aluminum. This vanetil is pivotally mounted 15 at 44 and is urged into a substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 by a light leaf spring &5, one end of which is desirably'soldered to an outward flange at it at the. upper edge of one of the frame plates ii, the other end 48 curving downwardly and engaging the underside'of said For pivotally mounting the control member 40, said member has at its forward end a downwardly inclined extension 4| of reduced width provided with a pair of spaced ears H, which extend between a pair of upright brackets 43 connected to the frame plates i i, as for instance by solder- I ing, and which are pivotally connected to said brackets by means of a pintle 44. The extension 4| has a tongue 5d, the sides 5| of which are infolded to form a guide channel 52 for looselyreceiving a slide piece 53 serving as a pawl.

port M of vane it. This ratchet wheel 54 is in the form of aspur gear having teeth 56 cut with a rake, so that one side 5'! of each tooth is nearly straight and extends substantially radially of the Wheel, the other side 58 being inclined with respect thereto, and desirably convexly curved.

.Also fixed to the shaft is a cam 60 desirably in the form of a spur wheel, spaced from the ratchet wheel 54 by a collar 6|, which is desirably formed integral with one of said wheels.

- a hinge pin 66 supported in the frame plates ll.

Thisdetent also has a pair of spaced depend bottom side of the top of the chassis I0.

ing lugs 68 overlying opposite sides of the ratchet wheel 54 to center said detent with respect to said wheel. The outer end of the detent 65 is bent downwardly to form a hook, adapted to engage and catch the straight sides 51 of the ratchet teeth respectively as said teeth are moved step by step in a counterclockwise direction successively past said hook.

Cooperating with the cam wheel 60 is a brake H desirably in the form of a lever, pivotally mountedon a shaft 12 supported in the frame plates M. This lever H has an upright arm 13 and a substantially horizontal arm 14 serving as a Weighted member for urging the lever counterclockwise as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4. The upper end of the arm 73 has a substantially V- shaped cam follower section 75 on one side in engagement with the teeth of the cam wheel 60, and a stop section 16 on the other side, cooperating with a dog 80 affixed to a shaft 8| supported on the frame plates II. This shaft BI is desirably in the form of an elongated pinion driven counterclockwise from the spring motor M by a drive mechanism, which desirably comprises spur gear 82 meshing with said gear shaft BI and secured to a shaft 83. Also mounted on said shaft 83 is a pinion 84, which meshes with a spur gear 85 mounted on a shaft 86 supported on frame plates II. This shaft 86 carries a pinion 8T meshing with a spur gear 88 secured to a shaft 89 journalled in frame plates II. Also mounted on this shaft 89 is a pinion 9U meshing with the main drive gear 20.

In the operation of the device, when the toy is immobilized, the cam follower will rest on the outer end of one of the teeth of the cam wheel 60 as shown in Fig. 2. In this position, the stop section 16 of the cam follower will be in the path of counterclockwise rotation of the dog 80, so that said dog will engage the upper edge of said stop section 16 and the operation of the spring motor M is blocked.

Upon the application of pressure to the top of the vane 40, as for instance by the player blowing air from his mouth through slots 39 in the top of the chassis III, the vane 40 will be swung clockwise about its pivotal support 44 against the action of the spring 45, so that the pawl 53 engaging the straight side 5! of the tooth 56 directly above it will move the ratchet wheel 54 counterclockwise. Lugs 19 extending upwardly from the frame plates l I will act as stops to limit the clockwise angular movement of the vane 40 to correspondto advance of the ratchet wheel 54 to an angularamount equal to one tooth.

The catch 70 engaging the straight side 51 of the adjacent ratchet tooth 56 directly below acts as a detent to prevent return movement of wheel 54. When the pressure on the vane 40 is released, it will swing back into horizontal position under the action of spring 45 into engagement with the This return movement of the vane 40 causes the slide pawl 53 to ride idly over the inclined side 58 of the tooth 56 directly below it until it drops into the next succeeding interdental space. Although the top of the chassis is shown as a stop for the return movement of the vane 40, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, the stop may be in the form of an upright bracket connected to the motor casing and having an onset at its upper end adapted to engage the rear or side of said vane.

The counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel 54 in the last movement described, will cause a corresponding rotation of the cam wheel 60 a distance equal to one-half a tooth so that the cam follower 15 under the weighted action of the arm 14 will drop into the interdental space of said wheel 60 directly below it from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position of the cam follower 15, the stop 16 thereof will be out of the path of rotation of the dog 80, so that said dog will be free to rotate, and the device will be able to con-- tinue its locomotion. The next succeeding impulse imparted to the Vane 40 will cause the rotation of the ratchet wheel 54 and the cam wheel 69 one step into the phase shown in Fig. 2 in which the spring motor is again locked or braked.

Although the control member 40 is shown in such form as to be responsive to a blast of breath air blown thereagainst, it may be in the form of an ordinary finger piece accessible from the outside of the chassis and operated by application of finger pressure thereon.

Also as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, it is not limited to the control of the locomotion of a toy of the vehicular type, but may be embodied in a form to effect the control of certain amusing operations of a toy of the non-vehicular type.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely diflerent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a control member, a member rotatable by said spring motor, a cam, a ratchet mechanism between said control member and said cam for rotating said cam step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, and a brake member in cam follower engagement with said cam, and oscillated by said cam alternatel into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby succes'sive impulses imparted to said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said sprin motor.

2. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a control member, a member rotatable by said spring motor, a cam spur gear, a ratchet mechanism between said control member and said cam for rotating said cam step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, and a brake member in cam follower engagement with the teeth of said cam wheel, and oscillated by said cam wheel so that said brake will be alternately in engagement with the outer end of the cam teeth and in an interdental space of said wheel, said brake in said alternate phases being in and out of the path of rotation respectively of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses imparted to said control member will cause alternate arrest and. release of said spring motor.

3. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a control member, a rotatable member having a drive connection with said spring motor, a brake member, and means responsive to successive impulses imparted to said control member for oscillating said brake member alternately into and out of blocking engagement with said rotatable member respectively, whereby successive impulses imparted to said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor. I

4. A toy of the self propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a control member, a ratchet mechanism including a rachet wheel rotated step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a member rotatable by said spring motor, and a stop member oscillated in conformity with the step by step rotation of said ratchet wheel, and alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses imparted to said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

5. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a sensitive control member, a ratchet mechanism including a rachet wheel rotated step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a member rotatable by said spring motor, and a pivoted stop member angularly oscillated in conformity with the step by step rotation of said ratchet wheel,

and alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses imparted to said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

6. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a sensitive control member, a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel rotated step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a cam member rotated step by step in conformity with the step by step rotation of said ratchet wheel, a dog rotated from said spring motor, and a stop member cooperating with said cam and. movable thereby alternately into and out of the path of.

rotation of said dog by the successive step by step movements of said cam, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

'7. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a control member, a ratchet mechanism including a shaft and a ratchet wheel afiixed to said shaft and rotated step by step by successive impulsesimparted to said control member, a cam member affixed to said shaft for rotation with said ratchet wheel, a dog rotated from said spring motor, and a stop member cooperating with said cam and movable thereby alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said dog by the successive step by step movements of said cam, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

8. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a control member, a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel rotated step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a cam spur wheel rotated step by step in conformity with the step by step rotation of said ratchet wheel, a dog rotated from said spring motor, and a stop member cooperating with said cam and movable thereby alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said dog by the successive step by step movements of said cam, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause a1ternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

9. A toy of the self-propelled typecomprising a spring motor therefor, a control member, a ratchet mechanism including a shaft, a ratchet spur wheel affixed to said shaft, and a pawl connected to said control member and adapted to rotate said ratchet wheel step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a cam spur wheel having one-half the number of teeth of said ratchet wheel and affixed to said shaft for rotation step by step in unison with the step by step rotation of said ratchet wheel, a dog rotated from said spring motor, and a stop member cooperating with said cam wheel and movable thereby so as to engage the outer end of a. tooth of said cam wheel during alternate step by step phases of said cam wheel, said stop member in the latter phases being in the path of rotation of said dog, said stop during the other step by step phases of said cam wheel extending in the interdental spaces of said cam wheel and out of the path of rotation of said dog, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

'10; A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a pivotally mounted control member, a pawl connected to said control member and angularly movable therewith about the pivotal support of said member, a ratchet wheel cooperating with said pawl and having an axis extending substantially parallel to the axis of the pivotal connection of said control member, a member rotatable from said spring motor, a stop member, and means responsive to the step by step movement of said ratchet wheel for oscillating said stop member alternate- 1y into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor,

11. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a pivotally mounted control member having a guide channel formation secured thereon, a pawl slidably mounted in said channel formation, a ratchet wheel cooperating with said pawl and rotated thereby step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a member rotatable from said spring motor, a brake member and means responsive to the step by step movement of said ratchet wheel for oscillating said brake member alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

12. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a pivotally mounted control member having a downwardly inclined guide channel formationat one endthereof, a pawl slidably mounted in said channel formation, a ratchet wheel cooperating with said pawl and rotated thereby step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a member rotatable by said spring motor, and means responsive to the step by step movement of said ratchet wheel for alternately blocking and unblocking the rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

13. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a pivotally mounted sensitive control member adapted to be moved about its pivotal support by successive impulses created by blowing breath air thereagainst, and having a downwardly inclined guide channel formation at one end thereof, a pawl slidably mounted in said channel formation, a shaft, a ratchet wheel on said shaft cooperating with said pawl and rotated step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, a rotatable dog having a drive connection with said spring motor, a cam spur wheel also on said shaft and rotated in step by step unison with said ratchet wheel, said cam spur wheel having one-half the number of teeth of said ratchet wheel, and a pivotally mounted brake member in cam follower engagement with the teeth of said cam wheel and oscillated thereby alternately into and out of blocking engagement with said rotatable dog by the successive step by step movements of said cam wheel, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

14. A toy of the self-propelled type including a spring motor therefor, a sensitive control mem ber, a rotatable member having a drive connection with said spring motor, a cam, means between said control member and said cam for rotating said cam step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, and a pivoted brake member having a pair of arms in angular relationship, one of said arms being in cam follower engagement with said cam, and the other arm serving as a weight for urging said cam follower arm into engagement with said cam, said brake being oscillated by the step by step movement of said cam to move said cam follower arm alternately into and out of blocking engagement with said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses on said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

15. A vehicular toy of the self-propelled type including a pair of traction wheels, a spring motor for driving said wheels, a control member, a member rotatable by said spring motor, a cam, a ratchet mechanism between said control member and said cam for rotating said cam step by step by successive impulses imparted to said control member, and a brake member in cam follower engagement with said cam and oscillated by said cam alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses imparted to said control member will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor and will cause corresponding alternate arrest and locomotive movement of said toy.

16. A vehicular toy of the self-propelled type including a chassis, a spring motor in said chassis, a pair of traction wheels driven from said motor, a light pivotally mounted vane in said chassis closely adjacent to the top thereof, said chassis top having a series of slots through which air may be blown from the operators mouth to move said vane about its pivotal connection, a member rotatable by said spring motor, a cam, a ratchet mechanism between said vane and said cam for rotating said cam step by step by successive impulses imparted to said vane, and a brake member in cam follower engagement with said cam and oscillated by said cam alternately into and out of the path of rotation of said rotatable member, whereby successive impulses imparted to said vane by blowing successive blasts of air thereagainst through said chassis slots will cause alternate arrest and release of said spring motor.

SAMUEL I. BERGER. 

